So I leave a really good paying job with nuff benefits like medical and dental, and credit union to pursue this part of my path. I focus on this racist worldwide policy that I am supposed to conform to and to accept as the forced degradation is commonly acceptable to most every single white Canadian.

Our plight cannot change as black or indigenous people because to the colonialist keeping the ‘inferior’ races in their place /s, is the basis of colonialism. The ‘inferior’ must be kept in its place for the white superiority to feel good about itself. Nothing changes because the racist government supports its racist population.

Now hold on, don’t “send you back to Jamaica where you come from! Blackie!” because you are responsible there also! Colonialism is the basis of the complete degradation of Jamaican people and a suppression of our culture which as you have plainly noticed is fairly unstoppable. Rastafari and reggae music grow across the global plain to European, Asian, East Indian, South American, African and all places in between yet gets the greatest fight from the Jamaican ‘government’ created by the head of the colony. JLP or PNP makes no difference. The poverty level, the crime rate, the death rate, the guns per capita, is way too high for such a small, beautiful island. The colonial master’s system is at its peak in African or Jamaican or other West Indian nations so when we migrate to Canada, we are well groomed to accept the abuse that we were ‘born to take’.

White Canadians have varying degrees of education to this racist policy. From the very well educated who had a semester or two of poly-sci who are now CEOs, doctors, lawyers know of it yet maintain the status quo of white superiority because “it is their God given right to be superior! If ‘they’ (black people) were smarter, they would not be in this position!” and tend to go about their lives with some level of comfort with their black friends. Many of the rest have way less education so basically feed off of the system’s lack of empathy and are out and out racist as they are empowered by said system!

I do not need acknowledgement from the colonial ‘master’ to continue to glow and the shine with the light that the Father has placed inside me, to connect with the similar light in all who share life on this planet. We must all shine our respective lights. No matter who sees it or not! If your light isn’t shun, it stunts the growth of the thing, setting, person that it was meant for and without your light, you shut down the chain of positive energy that we need. So shine your light!

I LOVE being Canadian!

Everywhere in the world has its own set of problems in so many ways, shapes and forms. If we could miraculously end racism in Canada, we would find something else to differ on or to fight about unfortunately. It seems like it is our nature as humans.

I am not a fan of colonial rule and no black, brown, red, yellow individual bears the yolk of ‘understanding’ their place with any level of acceptance. Some won’t admit to it based on false pride, yet there was a day, a circumstance, a word, a sentence, a snide comment, an experience that reminded you about the place you are supposed to accept.

I get what ‘they’ are saying but I ain’t down with that ‘place’ shit! “They” need to fuck off with that right quick! Yeah, yeah, I know it is our current system and it has been running for several hundred years now and is so entrenched in society and totally ingrained in our collective psyches, we can’t see any light at the end of any tunnels.

I gotcha! Slavery for generations!

Yet I want to say to all who read my writing / s, you also have a sense of how grateful I am for life, for love, for sunshine, for one of the most beautiful countries in the world with some truly awesome people who are my friends and family. I also do love many things Canadian yet I am never satisfied with what I am expected to accept as my “place”.

I must have heard it from a very wise source once and it stayed with me. It is a concept used in the martial arts as well (maybe where I learned it), if someone is pushing against you, it is your instinct to push back. So for generations said system has black people fighting for things like “civil rights” which is quite an effective distraction. Why effective? NO MAN CAN TAKE YOUR CIVIL RIGHTS! They are God given! They can tell us which washrooms to use, which water fountains to drink from, expect murders from the law enforcement establishment yet your civil rights are yours and only yours. Making rules and laws to degrade a race of people does not eliminate our civil rights. Our responses, in yelling and screaming when victimized, peace rallies and marches, protesting, are common distractions that continue to work because in our minds, it is our way of pushing back.

WE NEED TO STOP PUSHING BACK!

We need to focus creative energy and thought to the elevation of business, self awareness, cooperation, entrepreneurship, investment in self and culture and to be BOLD in our outlook.

Why do you / we fight for a right that no human or law can take from you? In all of the years of hand holding, peaceful sit-ins, speeches, marches, meetings or treaties, nothing has changed!

I have a focus on humanity and in that vein I bring products to the market that is my hope to elevate my current situation as an entrepreneur, as a reggae soldier, encouraging others to shine their light and to elevate humanity by their actions and their deeds. These are my thoughts and creations and even if you aren’t into them, find another designer and support them.

Create an economic base to reinvest in the music so that we aren’t waiting around for granting programs that do not even acknowledge me or reggae music as a Canadian expression. These product lines are reggae related, elevating the earning power of the genre and through reinvestment we intend to grow the positivity in all of our offerings.

The goal is to improve economic growth personally within the genre of reggae with merchandising and encourage other humans to purchase these products and to wear them proudly, knowing why you wear them with pride and encourage others who connect with your light to do the same.

www.​reggaelane.org

876 is the Jamaican phone area code

876ers are progressive minded people who recognize the colonial degradation and continued enslavement of a population of people by the colonial system. This current system has Jamaicans murdering Jamaicans.

How does a country that produces BILLIONS in the tourist trade continue to be “broke”?

Simple!

The Colony siphons those resources for decades and centuries with no regard for the people. The land, the once sugar cane industry, the once bauxite industry, Blue Mountain coffee, the hotels, the beaches, the ganja...all make more than enough profit to eradicate the Jamaican deficit owed to the IMF and the World Banks, controlled by the Colony’s systemic rape machine.

Ites, gold and green is manufactured and profited on by Chinese factories and not by Jamaicans or RasTafari people. One of the most popular parts of our culture isn’t even supported by Jamaica’s own government. There was a time that the then Prime Minister, ‘Sir’ Alexander Bustamante murdered HUNDREDS of Jamaican RasTafari people on the behest of the Colony. It’s in your history books. Look it up. And we acknowledge him as a ‘hero’ of Jamaican people. Kinda like we were forced to accept the pirate / rapist Christopher Columbus for “discovering” a place where people were already living? Really?

876ers recognize these types of information and are aware of the economic yolk placed around our still enslaved necks. All of these brands put love and respect back into our own community; elevates our community as well as the worldwide community. A vote for any of these brands is a vote for humanity. Investment in these brands and wearing them proudly sends a great message to our children and children’s children to infuse pride in self. Look for other designers and brands and support those too. 876ers are only one alternative.

Reggae for human life. For life on earth. For saving all life. To listen to all of my life. To give life.

The Fyah Lion breathes to elevate so if you are feeling this vibe, please purchase one and wear it proudly, which may encourage another to see your pride (light) and come pick up theirs. The hope is that this product can be worthy to hold up the banner of “reggae support” with its family supporting. I also believe that we should all look to other reggae designs by other companies and support such things worldwide.

One of my goals with RFL is to reinvest into the genre by continuing to bring live shows, DJ culture jams, spoken word, dub to live audiences and using those proceeds to purchase better promotional avenues for the music. A creation of a vibrant infrastructure that feeds itself based on good product as well as good talent. Asking all reggae heads out there to read, pass on the information and invest in the genre because of its positive messages.

Canada has never truly acknowledged reggae music as part of the Canadian psyche yet it most certainly is! A very rich history which includes names like Leroy Sibbles, Jay Douglas, DB Hawkes, David Kingston, Joe Gibbs Records, Jojo Bennett, The Sattalites, Lance Ingleton, Jones & Jones, daddy Karl Mullings, the continued legend of Jackie Mittoo, Messenjah, The Bamboo club on Queen Street, big shows at The El Mocambo and The Opera House...the Canadian reggae contribution to reggae vibes is too numerous to count yet NEVER a thought or a dollar invested to the genre by the ‘government’.

So a young, bright politician, Josh Colle, Councillor on Eglinton West also the current chair for the TTC, saw clearly that the expansion of the subway in what was once called affectionately, Little Jamaica [Marlee to Oakwood , along Eglinton] was about to be gentrified based on ‘progress’ and decided to name the laneway from Oakwood to the little parking lot, Reggae Lane! The first roadway on the planet, officially named from Reggae Music.

EVER!

I see that as a blessing. I see an opportunity to tell a “reggae story” of parts of my own journey through some of those years that I managed IBADAN because we used to rehearse directly on that laneway with Ruffins, as did a bunch of other bands and musicians in the 1990s. This Canadian will fill you in on that part of our collective heritage, shared by thousands of other Canadians.​Reggae Lane product can be purchased on www.reggaelane.org

RasTafari spoke of eating ital food back in the 1930s. In the 1970s as my consciousness grew, I remember them saying how weak RasTafari people were because they did not eat meat. We invented "Ital Food"! We were ostracized and vilified for a custom that is now glorified as Veganism in 2016. RasTafari was correct then in the 1930s and 40s as we were then with the burning of herb as a sacrament to whom we praise. We find that herb smoked as we praise, does increase our sensibilities to the human condition as well as a spiritual and intellectual heightening and wish they for that for any and all humans who seek it.

We see the systems need to stop hemp products and production as “they” maintain industries that poison the planet so that they can receive their profits, even to the detriment of humanity.

RasTafari has also revered and respected the healing qualities of ganja to the spiritual, intellectual and physical growth of humans and consistently preaches those things even today.

420ers ascribe to the forward movement of humanity.

The 420ers product line is about the positivity of marijuana to the people of this world. Wearing this brand not only shows physical support but also puts dollars towards this positive movement.

Proceeds of all sales will aid with the legal fees for those incarcerated by “law officials” in the latest bust in May 2016. It is our hope to generate enough to breakdown useless laws that restrict and constrict humanity for their own evil purposes.

420ers are for positive change.

All brands are here to elevate community, self and humanity. Please purchase and pass it on to others who ovastand the economic rise of the enslaved is a vote for humanity.

Firstly...Big Big Respect Julion King, a tremendously important Leader for all of us 'Reggae Soldiers' and people in general.. here in Toronto. Julion your work and your words are always genuine, to the point and will always be needed and expected. Keep it flowing and we'll help keep your intentions growing.

Secondly, (in relation to Julion's written piece) a word to all the men, women and children around the world especially for those who have 'locks' flowing from their head and soul. Let us all educate ourselves(if not already) on the words 'Dread' and 'Dreadlocks'. If one is able to garner the root and the beginning of these horrific words, they would find that many decades ago when civil unrest was live and direct in Jamaica, the 'shitstem', 'politrickions' and 'law shitforcement' put out posters of locked haired men with verbiage along the lines of 'Watch out for these men with "Dreadlocks"they are dangerous..if seen..contact authorities '. This whole process was hugely unjust and unwarranted, yet people bought into this propaganda and began to 'fear' and 'dread' locked haired Rastamen, this is the true root of and beginning of 'DREADLOCKS'. Authorities would come beat the living crap out of Rastamen, put them in jail and ever murder them(as Julion identified). So my plight as as locked haired man is to negate the term 'dreadlock' from my life and any Rastaman Life or Hinduman Life for that matter. From my experience very few people know this specific history on this 'dreadlock term'. Most just think of Bob Marley and it is probably the time when the term 'Dreadlocks' took new-famed heights. Yet there is no 'Fame' in 'Dread'!! In fact almost every non-Rasta Jamaican's I talk to have no clue of this history. It is a little sad to note that many Rasta's have little to no clue either. I have only met a handful of Rasta that know this history and take big offence to the term 'dread' and 'dreadlocka' to the same exact offensive degree as the term 'n*gger'...as it should be taken!

So as Julion states in his piece, we are programmed to accept these type things. But this man writing here.. isn't programmed for shit! I wanna bat down these racial 'underhanded slurs' alongside Julion!
So ANYTIME and EVERYTIME someone calls me a 'dread' or calls my crown 'Dreadlocks' I correct them and say "Doh call me a 'dread'...or they are not 'dreadlocks'..they are 'LOCKS' " "There ain nothing to dread here man!"

In India we call Locks 'Jataa' meaning locked and matted ropes of hair. Our Sadhus (our ganja smoking holymen) have had 'Jataa' (locks) for centuries upon centuries upon centuries upon even more centuries. They are peaceful holy men who have forsaken ALL material possessions and all family and friends, who dedicate their entire life to being a conduit between people on earth and the higher skies. There is nothing to dread about Sadhu or Rasta...straight. Even to India the term 'dreadlocks' has shamefully travelled. So let us all abolish the term 'dread' and 'dreadlocks' from our vocabulary...and this goes for everyone: Mothers, Fathers, Children, Musicians, Artists and Writers alike!

Lastly, I have tremendous respect for everything Rasta. Although I am not Rasta... Rastaman and Rasta woman are me brudda and sista to whom I walk alongside. I know as I have educated myself on Rasta life. Along with the history of 'Dreadlocks' much of this true history of Rasta...most doh know or fail to recognize. Now before I go on, know that I have full respect for Rasta's and their way of life. The truth of Rasta way of life is directly connected to India and Hindu way of life and it is not a coincidence! Yes Julion, Rastaman invented the term 'ital food', I am not here to be contentious but rather to add to your plight. Leonard Percival Howell, who was deeply deeply ingrained in Hindu and Indian ways of life, so much so he took on and rolled with the name of "Gangun Guru Maragh" later known as "The Gong Guru". Indian meaning: Teacher of famed wisdom. He is considered by most, if not all as the 'First Rasta' with help from Joseph Hibbert, Archibald Dunkley and Robert Hinds. G.G. Maragh was the originator of the Pinnacle for Rasta's in Jamaica. Really the true birthplace of Rasta life as it is known. Here Leonard Howell aka Gangun Guru Maragh put his life on the line to teach newcomers to the Rasta way of life at the Pinnacle...which is pretty much identical to strict Hindu and Sadhu way of life. Where did Howell learn all his Indian practices and ways of life. Well when slavery was apparently abolished in the mid 1800's, Indians were bamboozled into believing they were being offered the opportunity of a life time to work legitimately in the Caribbean..blah blah blah..all trickery and lies..and they fell for it and jumped aboard! Any which way Leonard's closest friends and confidant's were Indians and that is where he discovered and learned Indian practices and ways of life. Then when Haile Selass

Reply

RJ

6/8/2016 06:41:00 pm

Continued...
Then when Haile Selassie was crowned in 1930, these four pioneers of the Rastafari movement had their key to help promote the 'Black/African movement' properly with biblical connections in hand. But let us all be wise to Leonard Howell's actions and learnings before Haile Selassie was crowned or in the picture.
Alongside much of my knowledge of this history, I once came across a random well educated Jamaica man, driving a forklift here in Toronto. This man seen me and me locks and conversation a began. This was one of the few men I met who was in the 'know'. His background was in history and knew much of the true history. His studies identified that every ship that came with indentured labours from India had ateast one (sometimes more) 'Sadhus' - Indian Holy Men on them. Because of Sadhu's holy life and practices they were put on board to help give the ship safe passage in conjunction with the skies above.

So why do I identify these things here on Julion's blog. Well it starts with the term 'dreadlocks' and how most Jamaican's/Rasta's (from my experience..and I have many a these types conversations here in the '416' and the '876') don't know this "dreaded" history. In conjunction many ways of Rasta life did not drop from the sky, nor dropped from the Bible or Haile Selassie himself. These ways of life ie. the holy sacrament of ganja, the diet called 'ital' and many medicines, came from boots on the ground. The boots of Archibald, Dunkley, Hinds and most importantly the first Rasta, Leonard Howell...Gangun Guru Maragh.

So in order to fight this system as we know it today, we would all be best served to full understand terms like 'dreadlocks' and where ways of Rasta life are rooted. When we seek truths and proper knowledge, then we can be clearer and truer to ourselves. Only then will we have the proper alignment to battle and the 'shitstem' as we know it.

For those of you that read this and want to refute things, know that I am not here to debate history...I know this history and I am at peace. And know that I walk hand in hand, with my arms locked with Rasta people to help in our collective struggle in this dreaded 'shitstem'!

Julion, you are a one of a kind man, who we all can learn from. Keep it real, keep it flowing and keep being you!!!!

With forever lasting respect and gratitude,

R.

Reply

JuLion King

7/9/2016 10:55:38 pm

RJ,

Honored that you took the time to write and to expound and to further uplift me as a person. Blessings for the strength that you give Fari.

Jah Guide

Reply

Kingtut

6/11/2016 07:59:24 pm

Nearly 100 years ago, Marcus Garvey spoke about self-determination and the need to break away from our dependency on their system. Today we are still struggling with putting into place - thanks for coming forward with a viable and realistic option with tremendous potential.

Reply

JuLion King

7/9/2016 10:57:24 pm

King Tut,

It takes some of us longer to grow and to learn. I am living proof of that but now I know so I must try. Blessings for the encouragement dada. Jah Guide